Home Appliance

Beat the Heat: How to Make Your Own Air Cooler at Home

Using recycled stuff from around your house can actually reduce the temperature in your house.

With the summer already here, the mercury is expected to rise higher by the day and will soon reach its unbearable peak. While many people can afford to spend on power bills and install air conditioners at home, there are many who cannot afford even air coolers.

Air conditioners are pretty expensive themselves and adding to them their power bills make it out of reach for the most common man. So opting for an air cooler is probably one solution that not only is cheaper as an appliance but also uses lower power than conventional air conditioners.

In this article, we bring you a few videos that show you how you can personally make an air cooler at home. The process may need a few building and electrical skills, but the best part is that they can be built according to the size you require and from parts easily available in the market or even in your own home. Some videos even show you how you can recycle old stuff around your home to create some good air coolers yourself.

In this video from down south, Vimal Chintapatla shows you how you can purchase some off-the-shelf DIY parts to make your own air cooler for as little as Rs 1,500. All you need to do is assemble the parts and you are good to go.

This one ahead shows you how you can go ahead and design your own air cooler using raw material. You would need a plethora of tools in order to get this on the road. While there is a lot of effort needed here, the satisfaction thereafter is priceless.

While both the DIY air coolers shown above require water as the basic coolant, the video below shows you how you can build a near-air conditioner that needs no coolant such as water or compressors.

It uses a Peltier chip that can cool with just electricity. The process here is known as thermoelectric which uses the Peltier effect to create a heat flux between the junction of two completely different materials. It s a solid-state active heat pump which transfers heat from one side of the device to the other, with the consumption of electrical energy. All it needs is electricity and some good fans. The building process is a bit tedious. The parts are easily available too. And the cooling is pretty good. However, this type of air cooler produces a lot of heat from the rear end and needs to be mounted on a window like conventional window ACs. This cooler is only good enough for very small or tiny spaces as the electricity consumption is not as efficient as practical air conditioners, but good enough for places where air conditioners cannot be installed or available for such small rooms.

Taking a bite from the video above, this guy below has converted the same concept to build a split air cooler or air conditioner using Peltier chips. To help cool the Peltier chips, he uses a water cooling bypass that releases the heat outside the house. Pretty cool, but ain’t that efficient either.

Below are two more videos that show you how you can build a super cheap air cooler by recycling old stuff lying around your house. By using an old plastic container, an old washing machine motor, an old fan blade, a portable DC water pump and a few other spares, you too can build a good air cooler. While the cooler does not look as great, it is a nice DIY fun project for everyone to try.

And lastly, here are even cheaper methods on how to make an SIY air cooler at home. Check out these two videos below.

If you don’t want to make your own air cooler or buy one, for whatever reason, here is a video that shows you 12 tips on how you can beat the summer heat without an air conditioner or air cooler.

Ceilings painted with semi-gloss paints aren’t for everybody

cieling painted with semi-gloss

You might overlook it regardless of whether you’re an expert ceiling painter. Isn’t it difficult?

So, here’s how to get a semi-gloss sheen on your ceiling without messing it up:

First, combine one gallon (4 liters roughly) of heated water and one cup of TSP cleanser in a mixing bowl. You can level off the semi-gloss paints with your fingertip, taking good care not to scratch it. Don’t forget to clean your ceilings before painting them. And use a rack or a cloth, brush off the surfaces. Repair any past problems or plaster gaps before finishing the high ceilings.

What is the best gloss for a ceiling paint job?

Any paint, after all, comes in a variety of sheens. Each one will pique your interest with a distinct advantage. As a result, your sheen selection is dictated by your application requirements.

  1. Satin Sheen:

Suppose you’re painting ceilings of rooms that are often moist and humid. Take your kitchens and washrooms as an example. In that case, a sheen that stands up to humidity and wipes down easily is all you need. The satin ceiling sheen makes a suitable pick here.

  1. Semi-gloss Sheen:

Now let’s turn our sight to the ceilings of other rooms, such as bedrooms. But, again, you’re sure to feel annoying if you find that it takes more than ever effort for simple cleaning or scrubbing. That’s why for bedroom ceilings, we suggest a semi-gloss sheen. Such paints work like a water-resistive layer, adds extra gloss, and are easy to scrub and clean.

One more thing, if you’ve got a wooden ceiling, opt for none other than the semi-gloss paint. Most owners desire to paint the ceilings ivory or white.

  1. Flat or Matte Sheen:

We all know that none desires a ceiling that looks uneven or shows tracks of stains. That’s why the best sheen award for ceiling goes to flat sheen paint. You’re sure to love the smooth texture it brings. Zero imperfection, yet a reflecting surface on the top of your head, makes the appearance of your room impressive. It’s thick enough to cover in a layer. You won’t even need any prior measure to hide your cracks or stains!

Which features in the paint make it are ideal for interior ceilings?

When it comes to painting an entire home, you’re sure to add to your painting list too. In that case, make sure to paint the ceilings first before you jump to the wall part. You can go for any colored ceiling but say no to dark and extra shiny tops. By now, you’re sure to grasp the idea that paint type may change in terms of the rooms and ceilings requirements.

So to save you time, we’re here with a few paint suggestions that can bring out the best result. Have a look!

  • Water-based latex paint: You can choose a latex paint for your ceiling that dribbles less and emits less volatile mixes.
  • Luster: It’s better to pick a sheen with low to no shine so that it doesn’t cause glares or highlights the flaws in your ceilings.
  • Matte Paint: A flat, matte acrylic paint is a number one choice because it’s hideous ad reflective.
  • Viscosity: Make sure the paint is highly viscous, which means thick enough so that it minimizes the chance of dripping and spatters.
  • Texture ceiling: You can opt for ceiling primers and texture paints to add a textured ceiling.
  • Finishing: Always try a smooth, even finishing to your ceiling to give it a unique look and make it stand out.
  • Dry-time: If your paint claims to dry slowly, it allows your wet edge to turn smooth with a lap-free finishing.

Tips for painting your ceiling with a semi-gloss sheen

A flawless ceiling will no longer be a dream. All you need to do is settle on the right paint and follow a few leads. Make sure to carry out the tips to end up with no mess:

  • For that first coat, it’s better to dilute the paint up to 10%.
  • You can use a primer that seals water leakage and blocks stains.
  • Always paint the walls next to the ceilings.
  • We suggest using a roller wing to paint your ceilings at a height.
  • You’re free to turn creative by adding a bit of white color to your paint.
  • Make sure you’re making even layers while painting, missing no section on your ceiling.

Final Say

So, what is your opinion now? Can you use semi-gloss paint on the ceiling? Yes, you can, but you better put a question mark on your thoughts if you should. A too glossy ceiling can lead to unwanted glares and nothing more. So for typical rooms, a semi-gloss ceiling is not much needed. But wait, there’s more to reconsider.

If you aim to paint ceilings of rooms that lock more moisture, you direly need paint that blocks the humidity from ruining your ceilings’ paint. That’s where semi-gloss ceiling paint comes to the rescue!

Mug Warmer

Coffee Mug Warmer

However, if you’re getting ready in the morning or you get distracted easily, it doesn’t take long for your coffee to slowly get freezing cold–and nobody likes that. The great news is that you don’t have to keep drinking cold coffee. We’ve collected a list of some of the most effective mug warmers to keep your cup of coffee warm for as long as possible. A nice mug warmer will make sipping your hot tea or coffee a more enjoyable experience. If you’re a person who likes to slowly sip their coffee as they get ready in the mornings, or if you need a way to keep your tea or coffee warm while working at the office. When enjoying a delicious cup of coffee in the morning, it’s nice to sip it while it’s still warm.

Tea Mug Warmer
Coffee Mug Warmer

What is Coffee Mug Warmer?

A mug warmer is a small desktop device that works similar to the way electric kettles do. Functionally, a Tea or coffee mug warmer is a tiny hot plate that sits on your desk and heats the bottom of your cup to keep the liquid inside hot. A good mug warmer will keep your drink warm without exacerbating unpleasant flavors via scorching. But it’s important to remember that, due to the inevitable effects of oxidation and the way these drinks break down chemically over time, there’s no way to completely preserve the body and flavor of freshly brewed coffee or tea.

Most coffee mug warmers are electric, allowing you to plug them into a wall socket or a USB port.
First off, because they’re simple yet nifty little tools that won’t only make you feel fancy when you use them, but will also make sipping your coffee a lot more relaxed. And Keeping Our Coffee (and Tea) Hot.

All coffee mug warmers aim to maintain a specific beverage temperature, according to what the company deems ideal for drinking; most of the warmers we researched and tested claimed to target a range between 120 °F and 155 °F (though in practice none could achieve a temperature above 145 °F). In our own testing, we found the ideal range to be between 130 °F and 140 °F. Any colder tasted lukewarm, and any hotter made sipping uncomfortable. Of course, your own preference may differ.

How does it work?

Tea Mug warmers use heating coils in the same way electric kettles do. Once plugged in and switched on (most have an on/off switch on the side), electricity flows to a small heating coil built inside the device. A mug warmer works by using the simple properties of heat transfer and thermal energy. If we look at the temperature on a microscopic scale, a material with higher thermal energy just means the molecules in that material have high kinetic energy and are moving around much faster than molecules in a cooler material.

The molecules in a hot cup of coffee, for instance, are moving faster than the molecules in a cold cup of coffee. As the molecules collide, some of that energy transfers, warming up the cooler molecules and cooling down the hotter molecules in a process known as conduction. When you put your cool hands against a warm cup of coffee or tea, your hands will eventually get warmer because heat is transferring from the cup to your skin. So the mug warmer’s coils transfer heat to the base of the mug warmer, and once you place a cup onto the device, the heat from the base will transfer to the cup and the liquid within.